FROM THIS EPISODE

A new study from the Academy of Sciences looks at the three decades of growth in the US incarceration rate. We also explore research that digs into how many innocent people might be on death row around the country. We get an update on a few pieces of legislation in California that would legalize online poker. A new Godzilla movie enters theaters, so we explore the cultural importance of the monster here and in Japan. And, with all this recent news about the computer bug called Heartbleed, we hear about what the Federal Reserve and the banks are doing to protect themselves from cyber attacks.

We talk to one of the authors of a new National Academy of Sciences report that looks at the high incarceration levels in the United States. The study found that the massive increase in incarceration rates is not a significant enough factor in the decline in crime rates over the same period. Therefore, the study finds, steps need to be taken to reduce incarceration rates.

Should California legalize online poker? New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware have legalized some form of online gambling. Two bills making their way through the California Legislature would legalize online poker. Power players are lining up on both sides, with potentially billions of dollars at stake.

It’s been 60 years since Godzilla first trampled through Tokyo and into history as one of the world’s most enduring pop icons. A newly restored print of the 1954 original is playing around town this month, and another big-budget American Godzilla comes out May 16th. It will be the 28th Godzilla movie. We take a look at how the giant green lizard reflects ourselves and our world.

There’s a secret federal cybersecurity unit keeping trillions of dollars safe from hackers. But you may be surprised that this unit isn’t housed in Silicon Valley, or in a secret Washington, D.C. bunker -- they’re in a building in New Jersey next to a Buick dealership.